LIVE OAK, FLA. A meeting of County Agents, County Committeeman from
a number of bright leaf tobacco producing counties in this area, and tobacco
warehousemen was held here on the 28th to perfect plans for holding flue-oured
tobacco referendum on Friday, July 12a On that date growers throughout the
flue-oured tobacco producing areas of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina,
North Carolina, and Virginia will determine whether quotas will be continued on
this type of tobacco. In the referendum growers may vote for quotes for three
Sarag beginning with the 1947 crop; they may vote for quotas for 1947 only; or
'hey may vote against quotas. At least two-thirds of the growers voting in the.
referendum must favor quotas before they can be in effect* A grower is any per-
son who has an interest as owner, tenant, or share cropper in the 1946 orop of
flue-cured tobacco. However, no producer will be entitled to more than one
vote even though he may ave been engaged in production in two or more oommuni-
ties, counties, or states.

If two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum approve quotes,
then quotas will be in effect on all flue-oured tobacco grown ia the United
States dur*lg the quota period three years or one year, as the case may be.
If quotas are voted into effect the allotment of any farm in 1947 will not be
less than 80 per cent of the 1946 allotment provided the acreage grown on the
farm at least one of the past 3 years was as much as 75 per cent of the allot-
mant. After the volume of the 1946 crop has been determined the Secrotary -c
Agriculture may inoroease 1947 allotments in any amount above 80 per sent of 1946
allotments which in his opinion the supply and demand situation may warrant, If
quotas are approved, the penalty on tobacco produced outside of allotments will.
be 40 per cent of the avoragu price received for fluo-curod tobacco in all pro-
ducing bolts the preceding year instead of a straight ton cents por pound pon-
alty which now prevails.

Mr. H. G. Clayton, State Administrative Officer with the Production
and Markoting Administration, USDA, explained why it now appears that 1947 al-
lotmonts may nood to be reduced while all 1946 allotments wore increased 10 per
cent. Ho stated that the 1946 acroaga increase was mado largely to help satis-
fy the pant-up export demand for flue-cured tobacco. Stocks in foreign countries
were far below normal duo to war conditions, Flue-cured tobaccoo is an import-
ant eaLport commodity and growers could hope to hold this market only if adequate
supplies of tobacco are mado available, He clso pointed out that if quotas cro
continued loans at 90 per cent of the July 1 parity prico will be available on
erops for years to which quotas apply. He said the Federal Government is no
longer acting as agent for foreign governments in.purohasing tobacco, and i .
the future loans can afford a real protection to growers against drastic price
doolinos. Loans or other price supports will not be available on the 1947 crop
if growers disapprove quotas. Ho emphasized that the outcome of the reforondum
will not affoot in. any way the 1946 program, and that penalty payments for ox-
cess flue-ourod tobacco produced in 1946 will have to be paid whether quotas are
approved or disapproved in this reforondum. In urging growers to i rticipata
in the flue-cured tobacco referendum, Mr. COlyton says "Vote your own way, but
by all moons vote".

The Tobacco Association of the United States recently announced open-
ing dates for bright loaf tobaooo markets in the several belts* Those areas
Go'rgia-Florid.- Bolt, July 24; South Carolina and North Carolina Border Markots,
August 11 Zastorn North Garolin arkiots, August 19; Middle Belt, Soptembor 9j
and thI Old Bolt, gdptobor 16. iakoets will operate this season on the basis
of a fivo-ihour soling dal, with sales limited to not more than 400 piles per
hour, and esie of piles hold to not more than 250 pounds each.

JACKS(VILLE, FLA. Boll weevils emerged from hibernation in the
vicinity of cotton fields in groat numbers the past spring and are now a soer
ious throat to cotton in many sections of the South, reports the United Statos
Dopartmont of Agriculture. Serious damage to the 1946 crop mny be oxpooted in
numerous localities unless the weather soon thrns hot and dry, or the weeoovil is
chocked by.tho use of insooticidoa. Reports of entomologists indicate that
ooevils Woro more numerous in cotton fields by the first week in Juno than in
any similar period in mny years*. B omologists at Tifton, Georgia, report
cotton in that area more heavily infested with woevils during the first week of
Juno than during the aamo period for any recent year. Since that time rainfall
and temperature conditions have boon generally favorable to weevil multiplioa-
tion and deprodctions, 1r. W. A. Ruffin, API Extonsion. entomologist at Auburn,
Alabama, reports. the grEotost horde of boll weevils since 1939 has invaded
Southwest Alabama cotton fields and is ruining the already late and unthrifty
crops. Ho says field chocks in nine "Wirograss" counties showed the boll weevil
has punctured half of all squares formed. He believes that if remedial measures
are not taken, the insect will wipe out crops now in the early stagos of setting
squarose He is advising all farmers south of Montgomory to dust immediately all
cotton that is fruiting freely. He is roconmmnding that they use 7 to 10 pounds
of calcium rseonato per acro per application, dusting three times, five days
apart. He says that any appliortion washod off by rains within 24 hours should
be ropoqtod.

Swoot potato vino cutting crops set in Juno usually profit greatly by
an application of about 125 pounds of nitrate of soda a month after planting,
says Lylo Brown, API Extension Horticulturist.
a 4* s *

JACKSONVILLE, FLA* The production and shipment of package bees has
developed into an important business as is indicated by the fact that a total
of 1,227,000 pounds of pcckago boos woro shipped in 1945, according to official
reports. Of the total pounds of boos shipped in 1945, about 40 per cent moved
in 2-pound packages, 54 per cent in 3-pound packages, 4 per cent in 4-pound
packages, end 1 per cent in 5-pound packages. Boos shipped in units other than
those mentioned above accounted for about 1 per cent of total shipments" In
1945, Georgia led all other states in tho shipment of package boos, with a
total of 249,000 pounds, followed by Alabama with 235,000 pounds, thoso two
states shipping approxinmtoly 40 per cent of all the packago booes shipped during
that year. The roaring and shippFng of queen boos is also an important iteom
The number of quoons shipped by package boo shippers in 1945 was 874,600.
Alabama led all states in the shipment of queens with 193,200 to her credit.
Goorgia stood fourth in the list of queen boo shipments, having shipped 124,200
queens in 1945,